Effective Communication Made Simple

Thankful Thursday – Thomas Walpool

On this Thankful Thursday I am thankful for the gifts that Tom Walpool brings to my life. For many years Tom was the innovative director of the Greenville, SC Hearing, Speech and Learning Center. He started a thriving program for learning disabled children and had the first industrial hearing testing mobile unit in the state. He was the driving force behind a huge Appalachian Area Grant that made a great difference to the lives of people of that area of the state. He also started a program to train Hearing Ear Dogs. Perhaps most important is his willingness to share what he knew with others. Tom grew up in Tennessee. He graduated from East Tennessee State and received his Master’s Degree from the University of Alabama. Tom is a past president of the South Carolina Speech Language and Hearing Association and received the Frank R. Kleffner Clinical Career Award. He moved to Aiken, SC to retire, but couldn’t stay out of the traces. He is working with the school system as a consultant doing diagnostic and clinical services. Tom is like the Energizer Bunny. He is a great example of, “Love what you do and you’ll never work a day in your life.” Tom made working together fun. A great friendship developed among the directors of community speech and hearing centers in the state and much of that was due to Tom’s leadership. On this Thankful Thursday, I am thankful for Tom Walpool.

Thankful Thursday is a day set aside to recognize the importance of someone special to our lives and to let her or him know of our gratitude. Develop an attitude of gratitude. Say Something Nice; Be a Lifter. You will be glad that you did.